Hair
by gypsysfeather
Summary: Regina is growing her hair out, and it's a long process - needing patience. For what reason could she possibly want to grow it out?


_A/N: Hey guys! So here's a TOTALLY FEELSY little one shot I thought up! Warning: TEARS MAY APPEAR IF YOU READ THIS :')_

 _Ahhhh...anyway. Please review and let me know how you liked it :) Thanks!_

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Two inches, maybe three. She just wants some length added on to her hair, just for fingers to run through it.

Hers are doing just that as she stands in front of the mirror, looking at herself and her hair that only comes down about to her shoulders. She's startled a little, so deep in thought, by Robin's voice, "Regina?"

"Yes, I'm almost ready." She says, tucking her hair behind her ear and picking up her makeup bag. Date night, every Saturday night since they got home from Camelot. It's the only time she forgets about Emma, the only time she just focuses on Robin and on herself. She needs it, and so does he. They keep each other sane through all of the horrible things with Zelena and with Emma, and with Hook trying to make everyone miserable just because _he's_ miserable. Yes, they need this a lot more often than just every Saturday, but for now it will do.

She steps outside with her lips sucked in slightly, looking at him in her deep red dress. It comes down to her knees, has three quarter length sleeves, comes up to her collarbone and down to the middle of her back. His smile is a reassurance that she looks okay, and she feels even better when he says, "You look beautiful, my love."

It makes her blush, maybe – at least it feels like it. She smiles a bit shyly and looks down at her body, "Thank you." She says, "Now let's get going, okay?"

 **..**

…

It's only grown _maybe_ a centimeter. It's been two weeks with using the hair growth stuff that Ruby told her to use. She needs it to grow faster...she wants her hair longer again. As she's staring in the mirror this morning, she shakes her head when memories flood into her mind.

" _What are you doing?" Cora asked, stepping into Regina's room, seeing her in front of her vanity._

 _Regina, only three, looks back at her mother, "I want to cut it, mommy. I don't like my long hair." She says. She's so young, so impressionable. She wants to be just like her mother right now, even if at the same time her mother hurts her consistently. She's mean, but Regina wants her approval. "I want it short like yours, mommy."_

 _Cora shakes her head in disgust, "Mine is only short because_ _you_ _got your ratty little hands in it." She says, walking over to her with poise and grabbing her hand harshly away from her hair. "You are a princess. You must have long hair, Regina." She says, "Someday, you'll be queen."_

It's stuck in her mind ever since then. She kept her hair long for that reason, and for others, while she was queen. It just stayed in the back of her mind, and every time she would try to cut it, her mother's voice would reappear in her mind. You'd think after all of those years of her mother torturing her, she'd want to cut it out of spite. But a little piece of that three year old girl was still inside her heart, and she still just wanted her mother's approval.

But when she cast the curse, when she arrived here, the hair was short. She wanted it. She wanted it as short as she could get it without it just looking bad. She wanted to be new, a new person, refreshed. That's what she got when she had hair that only came right over her ear.

She wants to kick herself for wanting to grow it long again. After all the words her mother said to her, the words Leopold told her when she had to cut it.

" _It's just knotted, Regina." He said, even though she was lying on the ground, looking up at him with leaves and twigs tustled into her hair. She had just fallen off her horse after it spooked – which was enough embarrassment in itself._

 _She had looked at the scissors that the maid was holding in her hand, and she shakes her head, "It's fine, I'll be able to grow it back out, Leopold." She says, even though she wanted it short. She wanted it so short so he wouldn't grab it when he would practically rape her. So he wouldn't fist his strong hands into it as he hurt her continuously. She wanted it short again._

 _The maid cut out the knot, the twigs, and it looked horrible. So horrible that he made her wear a hood the rest of the trip, made her stay outside when he would go to visit the other kings and queens, telling them that his queen was not feeling well. But in reality, he was embarrassed to be seen with her._

She tucks her hair behind her ear and bites her lip, looking out to her bedroom at the calendar on the wall. It's been two weeks since she'd started this treatment, maybe she should use some more on her hair. Maybe that's the problem. She opens the medicine cabinet and slathers some of the gel all over her hair, making sure to really get the roots good. She adds the shower cap on her head and walks out of the bathroom. She practically runs into Robin, and then has to let out a giggle when he looks at her.

"I know, I know." She says, just shaking her head.

He smiles a bit and bites his lip, "What in this world are you doing?" He asks, laughing a little bit.

"I'm trying to grow my hair back out." She says, picking at the shower cap with annoyance, it's wanting to fall into her face. "And quick, too."

"Why, may I ask?" He questions, lowering one brow. "And why so sudden?"

She shakes her head softly, "No reason." She says, but it's a lie and she knows that he can tell, too.

"That's not the truth, now is it?" He asks coyly, stepping to her and grinning a bit, gently running the tips of his fingers along behind her ear.

She smiles a little and shakes her head, "No. It isn't." She replies, "But I'm not telling you the whole truth...so don't ask." She coos, grinning a bit more and kissing his lips softly. "I'll tell you soon enough."

He sighs as she walks away from him, "I don't really like these secrets." He admits.

Looking back at him, she shakes her head. "It's not a secret when I plan on telling you." She smiles again and winks at him.

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"Your hair has grown so much..." He whispers, smiling softly as he runs his fingers through her locks that go down to just the top of her breasts. "It's so beautiful." He says before taking both hands and placing them on the bump that was growing, growing, and growing. "As has this."

It's been nine months since she first decided to grow her hair out. Nine months of that damn hair treatment, and now her hair is halfway down her back like it used to be. She gets a bit misty eyed, thanks to those wonderful hormones she's been experiencing, and bites her lip. "Thanks to you." She teases, smiling softly.

He chuckles and leaves the room after kissing her head, and she turns to the mirror with her bag in her hand – ready for the hospital. She's late, and they're going to induce labor, and she's beginning to get nervous. She's hoping everything is okay with this little bundle of joy. She just wants her to be okay. But as she runs her fingers through her hair, it somehow comforts her. Swallowing thickly, she sighs a little bit and bites her lip. "Charlotte Grace, you sure are putting on a show for us." She whispers, rubbing her stomach.

She hears Robin down the hall, "You coming, lovely?" He asks, and she puts her bag into her other hand and nods.

"Yeah, I'm coming." She says softly and bites her lip.

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A day later, after twelve hours of trying to induce labor and then three hours of horrible, painful, real labor, she was holding little Charlotte in her arms. She couldn't help but to cry, smiling down with so much pride. "Hi sweetie." She says, and Robin smiles, kissing the side of her head. "Oh, you're so perfect."

She feels like a different person, she feels like a completely different human being – even since Camelot. Everything was okay again, Emma was Emma again, no curses had happened in about three months, and she had been able to spend time with her growing baby and with Robin. She needed this. She needed it more than she'd ever even known.

Robin kisses Charlotte's head gently and sighs against her head of dark hair, "She's got hair like yours." He whispers and looks up with only his eyes at Regina, smiling against his baby's head. "Just like yours."

"Yeah..." Regina whispers back, so proud of this little...this little _thing_ that they made. This little human being that is way too perfect to be the Evil Queen's daughter. "She does." She whispers.

The baby was squirmy, and she's sure it's from being annoyed with labor for all of these hours. She just didn't want to come out of her womb. Regina's not sure she can really blame her...it's nice and safe in there. She's been talked to so sweetly, sang to, rubbed, read to...everything. Why would she have wanted to come out?

Her hand reaches up and grabs Regina's hair, and tears gather in her eyes immediately after those little fingers wrap around. "I knew you would like this." She whispers, lifting her up a little so she could reach it better.

Robin gets this look on his face as though he's put two and two together finally, "Wait-" He says softly, "Is...is this why you've been growing your hair out?" He asks.

She chuckles, "I've been growing my hair out since the very day I found out, Robin." She murmurs lovingly, "My mother hated me at an early age, and one reason was because she had to cut her hair short because I always liked to play with it, tangling it up in my fingers." She says, sadness in her tone. "I want my daughter to know that she can play in my hair whenever she wants...she can tangle her little fingers in it, knot it up, get...get juice in it. Anything. I'm hers." She explains, taking a shaky breath as she looks up from Charlotte. "One reason I liked her name so much...she's free to do what she wants – you know, in certain guidelines." She chuckles and smiles sadly before she feels his lips on hers suddenly.

After he pulls away, he looks into her eyes, "That's the best thing I've ever heard..." He whispers, "And I love it...I love your hair, I love you."

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 **Don't forget to review, please! :) Thanks!**

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